Wagon-brake.



R. C. OVERTON.

WAGON BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1915.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R.C. OVERTON.

WAGON BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, $915- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

ANDORAPH c R. C. OVERTON.

WAGON BRAKE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, I915- Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

awe/whom 9 1 i R fix V12 awaz zaya M m m NTE ROBERT C. OVERTON, OF NUTBUSH, VIRGINIA.

WAGON-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Application filed June 19, 1915. Serial No. 35,038.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT C. OVERTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nutbush, in the county of Lunenburg and State of- Virginia, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon- Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to brake devices adapted to be applied to vehicles, more particularly to the heavier class of farm wagons and the like, and has for one of its ob ects to provide a simply constructed device whereby the weight of the vehicle may be utilized to automatically apply the brake when going down hill.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device applied principally to the draft tongue and releasable by the driver on the seat of the vehicle when it is desired to apply the brake.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed attachment applied-principally to the draft tongue and which does not interfere with the ordinary uses of the draft tongue or the usual application of the brake.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims; and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure '1 is a plan View of the running gear portion of a conventional wagon of the farm or field class with the improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the axles in section on the line 22of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the forward portion of a draft tonguewith the improvement applied. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3with portions in section on the line 4L4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the parts shown in orresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

- The improved device may be applied without material structural change to any of the forms of vehicle which include a draft tongue, but for the purpose of illustration is shown applied to the running gear of a conventional farm wagon, in which 10 represents the rear axle having bearing wheels 11-12, and 13 the forward axle having bearmg wheels 1415. The usual bolster of the rear axle is shown at 16 while the bolster of the forward axle is shown at 17. The main reach member is represented at 18, the hounds of the rear axle at 19, the hounds of the forward axle at 20, the tongue at 22 and the tongue hounds at 23, the latter being plvotally united by the usual rod 24 to the forward axle hounds 20. The rear axle hounds 19 are coupled by the usual plates 25 between which the reach 18 is adjustable. A brake beam 26 extends over the hounds 19 and the reach 18 and is provided with the usual brake shoes 27-28. The beam 26 is l1kew1se provided with keepers, indicated at 29, whereby the beam is prevented from vertical movement relative to the hounds and reach but is left free to move longitudinally of the vehicle to enable the brake shoes to be applied to the wheels 11-12. P1voted at 30 to the upper plate 25 is a lever arm 31 and the shorter end of the lever arm is connected by link 32 to the brake beam 26. By this means it will be obvious that when power is applied to the longer end of the lever 31 the brake shoes will'be applied to the rear wheels 11--12. A spring 31 is applied to the end of the lever 31 to retain the beam 26 and its shoes 27- 28 yieldably in forward or inoperate position.

The forward end of the tongue 22 is provlded with a longitudinal cleft or slot 33 opening forwardly and the sides of the tongue at its forward end are provided with clamp plates 3l35, the plates being connected at their forward ends by a transverse member 36, the latter being spaced from the forward end of the tongue, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 4.

Pivoted at 37 in the slot 33 of the tongue is an arm, represented as a whole at 38. At its rear end the arm 38 is directed downwardly below the lower line of the tongue, as represented at 39, and connected to the de pending portion 39 of the arm is a pull rod 10 which extends rearwardly beneath the tongue and terminates in an eye 41. A support or hanger 42 is applied to the lower end of the tongue and supports the rod 40 in position. A chain or like flexible member 43 is connected at one end to the eye 4.1 and at the other end to the terminal of the longer portion of the lever 31. Pivoted at 44 to the arm 38 at its forward end is a'trip lever 45 having a hooked lower terminal 46 adapt and, releasable from the member 36 when the lever 45 is moved into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. Formedin the member 38 in its forward upper portlon is a slot 47 and a spring 48 is formed around the portion of the member 38 between the slot 47 and its upper edge, the spring thus bearing against the trip lever 45 and holding the same yieldably in its forward position. A relatively large ring 49 is connected to the arm 38 rearwardly of the slot 47 and the spring 48, the ring being designed to receiVe a snap or other suitable device connected to the neck yoke, the latter not being shown as it forms no part of the present invention. Pivoted at 50 to the tongue 18, preferably near its rear end, is a lever arm 51, and pivoted at 52 to the lever arm is a combined pull and locking rod 53, the latter being connected at its forward end at 54 to the trip lever 45. p

The free end of the lever 51 rests upon the tongue 22 when in normal position with the pivot 52 below the line of the pivot of the member 51, so that the rod 53 serves to lock the lever and retain the lever 45 likewise in locked relation to the transverse member 36, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and in full lines in Fig. 4.

A releasing means, such as a combined push and pull rod 55 is attached to the lever 51, and leads thence to a point convenient to the driver on the seat of avehicle, not shown.

When thus arranged, the ring 49 and the lever 38 will be coupled to the tongue and move with the latter, and so long as the vehicle is proceeding under normal conditions, or on level ground, the parts will remain in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and by full lines in Fig. 4. When going down hill, pull exerted, by the driver on the seat of the vehicle, on the rod 55 will break the lock of the lever 51 and cause the rod 53 to draw the trip lever 45 into its rearward position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, thus releasing the trip lever and the lever member 38 from the tongue, and then, as the team backs to exert retarding pressure against the vehicle, the neck yoke being attached to the ring 49, exerts a. rearward pulling force upon the lever 38 and moves it into its upward and rearward position, this movement causing the shorter lower end 39 to move forwardly and exert a pulling force upon the rod 40 and flexible element 43 and thus actuate the lever member 31 and apply the brake mechanism to the rear wheels of the vehicle. The momentum and weight of the vehicle coacting with the rearward backordinary operation of the brake, as the usual brake operating levers may be applied to the lever 31 as by a chaln 56, or like devlce.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured and applied and without material change to the vehicle.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a. member adapted to be swingingly coupled to a draft tongue, means adapted to couple said swinging member. to

the brake mecahnism' of a vehicle, means adapted to couple said swinging member to a the harness of a draft animal, a locking de vice pivoted to the free end of said swinging member and adapted to be engaged at one end to said draft tongue, and meansunder the control of the driver of a' vehicle for releasing said locking. device.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a member adapted to .be movof a vehicle, means for coupling saidmovable member to the brake operatingmechaa nism of the vehicle, means adapted to con ple said movablemember to the harness .of' the draft animals of said vehicle, alocking-v device movably connected to said movable member and adapted to hold said movable member in inoperative position, a spring en gaging said locking device, and means operatlve agalnst the resistance of sald'sprlng for ably supported relatively to the draft tongue" adapted to'couple said swinging member to the brake operating mechanism of a vehicle,

means adapted to couple said swin 'ng member to the harness of draftanima s a" locking device carried by said swinging member and engaging the transverse mem ber of said draft tongue, and means for re leasing said locking member. i

4. In an apparatus of the classdescribed, a vehicle draft tongue having a longitudinal recess in its outer end and a transverse member in advance of the recess, a member mounted to swing in saidrecess and having a longitudinal slot, means adapted to couple said swinging member to the brake'operating mechanism of a vehicle, means adapted to couple said swinging member to the har ness of draft animals, 'alocking device'cam ried by said swinging member and engaging the transverse member of said draft tongue, a spring engaging with said slot and bearing against said locking device, and means for operating said locking device against the resistance of said spring for releasing said locking member.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a vehicle draft tongue having a longitudinal recess in its outer end, clamp members attached to the sides of said tongue and united by a transverse member in advance of the recess, a member mounted to swing in said recess and having a longitudinal slot, means adapted to couple said swinging member to the brake operating mechanism of the vehicle, means adapted to couple said swinging member to the harness of draft animals, a locking device carried by said swinging member and engaging the transverse member of said draft tongue, a spring engaging with said slot and bearing against said looking device, and means for operating said locking device against the resistance of said spring for releasing said locking member.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a vehicle draft tongue having a longitudinal recess in its outer end, clamp members at tached to the sides of said tongue and united by a transverse member in advance of the recess, a member mounted to swing in said recess and having a longitudinal slot, means adapted to couple said swinging member to the brake operating mechanism of a vehicle,

means adapted to couple said swinging member to the harness of draft animals, a spring carried by said swinging member and engaging with said slot and bearing against said locking device, and means for operating said locking device against the resistance of said spring for releasing said locking member.

7. The combination with a vehicle includ ing the rear wheels, the reach, rear hounds and a draft tongue, of upper and lower coupling plates uniting the rear hounds above and below the reach, said upper plate having a pivot member rising therefrom, a brake beam bearing over said reach and hounds and having brake shoes, an operating lever engaging said pivot member, means for coupling said lever at one end to said brake beam, a member movably supported relatively to said draft tongue, means for coupling said movable member to the lever at the other end, means adapted to couple said movable member to the harness of the draft animals of said vehicle, a locking device adapted to hold said movable member in inoperative position, and means for releasing said locking device.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT c. OVERTON. [n 8.]

Witnesses:

W. C. LUCY, W. L. Mosns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

